The Life She Wants Part 33

There was a workbench in the garage that, like the rest of the Christensen home, was far too clean and tidy. She eyed a hammer, a big screwdriver, a crowbar. She took the crowbar and wedged it into the tight s.p.a.ce right where the doork.n.o.b was and started prying with all her might. She was at it for a good five minutes when she heard a car pull into the drive. She looked over her shoulder. Shawna and Dellie were standing in the driveway behind her, staring in wonder. Logan strode toward her.

"Give me that," he said. "If we're going to do it, let's do it."

"Thank you," she said, rubbing her upper arm.

It took him three powerful tugs with the crowbar, some splintering wood and a great big kick and the door opened. Logan was inside first. "Bethany!" he shouted.

"Look through the downstairs," Emma said. "I'll check the upstairs bedrooms."

Their feet pounded through the house, each of them shouting the girl's name. Emma went immediately to Bethany's bedroom and found the room undisturbed, the bed made as usual. She checked her bathroom-it was spotless. She called out, checked the master bedroom-again, everything in order. The master bath was clean as a whistle and she thought, I've made a terrible mistake...again!

She heard a soft moan and opened the door to the large, walk-in closet and there, in a little pile on the floor was Bethany, covered in blood. "Logan!" she screamed. "Up here! Help me!"

She rolled Bethany to the side and it seemed the blood was coming from her thin, pale wrists. "Oh, G.o.d, Bethany! No!" She put her fingers to Bethany's neck and felt a faint pulse. "In here!" she shouted again.

"Is she alive?" he asked.

"Yes, but unconscious and her pulse is weak."

Before Emma even finished talking, Logan had grabbed a white s.h.i.+rt from a hanger, bit a tear in the hem and ripped it into a couple of strips. He tossed one to Emma. "Pressure," he said, ripping the s.h.i.+rt again and again. "Nice and tight."

When that was done he got on his cell and called for paramedics.

Over the next fifteen minutes, the master bedroom began to fill with people. Emma and Logan stayed beside Bethany, Emma holding her gently, rocking her, telling her she must be all right, must. First Dellie and Shawna were there, watching. Then Makenna, followed quickly by Riley. Both of them were stunned and angry that this poor girl could have suffered so much and there seemed to be no one to help her. Finally paramedics arrived and by that time Bethany was moaning and whimpering weakly. After an IV was started and the gurney stood ready to take her to the ambulance, Olaf and Liz Christensen appeared. Liz gasped and covered her mouth while Olaf rushed to his daughter.

As the paramedics transferred Bethany, Olaf Christensen faced Emma. "Who are you? And how did you know my daughter was in trouble?"

"I clean your house, Mr. Christensen. And she reached out to me. I wanted her to reach out to you, but she didn't think you could handle it. She's been in a lot of pain since her mother pa.s.sed away."

"But I got her a counselor!" Liz Christensen said.

"Yes, and you also cleared out all the family pictures and started wearing her dead mother's clothes. How you thought that was going to be okay, I'll never know."

"I asked," she said defensively, looking a bit confused. "I asked permission! From Bethany! And the pictures... I didn't think that was helping us become a family!"

Emma took out her phone and revealed the text. "Bethany lost her family. She told me when her mother was alive they laughed a lot, they hugged and laughed and fell asleep together. She told me your a.s.sistant bought her birthday and Christmas presents. She was so, so lonely."

Olaf Christensen read the text. "G.o.d," he said. "I just wasn't looking, was I? I don't know how to thank you for finding her. I don't know how you knew she would need you."

"Well, I've looked the other way at times in my life when I shouldn't have. I won't ever do it again."

Epilogue.

June Kerrigan threw a nice party for her family and friends two days before Christmas. It was a buffet featuring her favorite dishes. Her house was decorated to such an extent it made her shudder to think about the taking down and putting away. She may have gone a little overboard, but this was a very special holiday to her.

Emma Shay Kerrigan no longer cleaned houses for Riley. Now she was a full-time student and mother. John Shay Kerrigan was born in October, a little early but a good size, while Emma was supposed to be in a lecture at UC Davis where she was studying toward a masters in counseling. Now at his first Christmas, John was being pa.s.sed around to every person present.

Adam was married and a new father, something June had nearly lost hope for. Riley and Jock were married, too. Riley had just announced that Maddie would be getting a little brother or sister in the spring.

Penny Pennington had been invited and had spent a lot of time in the kitchen with June and was busily monitoring the buffet table to make sure fresh hors d'oeuvres were always available. Ethan and Lyle were literally waiting in line for their shot at John. Aaron Justice had come, bringing a huge wreath with him. Beatrice, the particularly ugly rescue dog, had found her forever home with June, though she had not gotten very much prettier. And Bethany, Liz and Olaf Christensen were there, together, laughing at all the old Kerrigan family stories.

But the nicest thing-June saw Riley and Emma lifting their gla.s.ses in a secret toast. Smiling. Emma had her favorite wine and Riley had sparkling cider. They were friends again.

They'd been each other's maid and matron of honor and would be raising their children together. After all.

Acknowledgments.

Many thanks to my readers for the continuous outpouring of support and encouragement. You make my pursuit of creating good fiction such a joy.

Special thanks to Kurt A. Johnson, Esq., for showing me the path through the complex world of wills, trusts, and miscellaneous estate details and laws.

To my favorite financial wizard, Kayla Koeber. Thank you for helping me understand the many mysteries of the world of finance. You are so patient and wise.

Any errors or alterations in the technical aspects of the story are not the fault of my adviser but mine, most often license to create a strong story, and I appreciate the reader's indulgence.

Thank you to a very hardworking PR machine: Mich.e.l.le Renaud of Harlequin, Nancy Berland of Nancy Berland Public Relations and Sarah Burningham of Little Bird Publicity. I would be so lost without you!

My deepest grat.i.tude to Craig Swinwood, Loriana Sacilotto, Margaret Marbury and Nicole Brebner, my Harlequin Dream Team. Every day of working with you all is a privilege.

To Dianne Moggy, thank you for that special day eighteen years ago when you said yes to a submission from me, changing my career path and my life. I am so grateful for the opportunities that started right there.

To my agent, Liza Dawson, thank you for your dedication and loyalty through the years. It's been quite a wonderful trip and an honor to call you my friend.

Keep reading for an excerpt from WHAT WE FIND by Robyn Carr.

"A thought-provoking look at women...and the choices they make when they realize their lives aren't exactly what they expected-or thought they were."

-Kirkus Reviews on Four Friends Discover a powerful story of healing and new beginnings, set against the backdrop of the Colorado and Continental Divide Trails with the uplifting first novel in Robyn Carr's new Sullivan's Crossing series: What We Find "Carr sets the bar for contemporary romance. The well-paced plot, engaging and well-defined characters, and an inviting setting make Carr's latest an enhancement to any fiction collection."

-Booklist, starred review

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